The Rock, Wine, and Music in Fredericksburg

What a great weekend in Fredericksburg, Texas - lots of good wine at some of the local wineries, excellent live music at several different venues, a hike to the top of Enchanted Rock, and some good food. The weekend started by attending our grandson's first tackle football game (I was more nervous than he was!) and we loved it! Of course I'm a tad biased but he did great - as the quarterback for the first half he ran for over 40 yards; he had three great punts; and on defense he made three fantastic tackles plus an interception. And they won the game! Of course in my mind he was MVP.

Camping in Fredericksburg

After the game, we drove to Fredericksburg
and set up the RV in Texas Wine Country Jellystone Park Camp Resort - that's a very long name for an RV park a few miles outside of Fredericksburg. Before the jacks had the motorhome leveled, the three grand kids had their bathing suits on and were out the door! Over the next couple days they had a blast at Jellystone - playing on the jumping pillow, cooling off in the pool, and a game of washers, ping pong, and pool. I figured after all of that they would be so tired that they would hit the sack around 8 but my head hit the pillow long before they crashed!

Live Music
in Fredericksburg

Austin may be the live music capital of Texas, but Fredericksburg is a close second. All you have to do is listen for a pretty voice or the twang of a guitar or the beat of a drum as you walk the streets of Fredericksburg and you'll find some shade, a cold drink, some food, and excellent music. Most of the restaurants have patios with live music on the weekends, several have music during the week, and a few have entertainment every day.

After we drug the kids out of the pool, we headed to Luckenbach, just down the road from our campground and they always have excellent music. On the weekends there are festivals or bands playing in the dance hall (Max Stalling was there Saturday night) and free music on the outdoor
stage Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Two of our favorites, Walt and Tina Wilkins, were playing when we arrived and it was a pleasure to get to listen to them. Hard to beat sitting under the oak trees in Luckenbach, sipping a cold beer, and listening to good music.

After a great set we headed into Fredericksburg for some wine and cheese at Lincoln Street Wine Market - a cool outdoor patio with fireplaces plus some food and wine and beer. I missed the name of the talented lady playing the keyboards and she was very good. Then we mozzied up the block for dinner and margaritas on the patio at EL Milagro and caught a couple
sets from the Flying GTs - two dads, two sons playing some good cover band music ranging from some classic rock by the Eagles to good country from Merle Haggard to Pat Green.
As we were walking back to the car, two musicians were playing at Lincoln Street and we couldn't resist a set and a nightcap.

After a good pizza dinner the next evening we heard a set from Davey Schrank at Crossroads Saloon & Steakhouse (a fun hangout for dancing and drinking) and then walked across the street to Hondo's outdoor patio and the Flying GTs were living it up on the stage.

When we got back to the camper, we heard singing and guitar playing and low and behold, a guy playing a guitar and trying to look like Elvis was playing - yup, that's Yogi Bear smiling in the background. And when he was done two fellow campers disappeared then came back with a guitar and accordion and entertained us for another hour! They were really good and very lively as the granddaughter watched from atop the fire hydrant!

The next day was lunch on the patio at Silver Creek and music by a Jimmy Buffet type guitar play - and since it was 5:00 somewhere we had to start the day with a Bloody Mary. After lunch we somehow ended up back at Luckenbach for the "Picker Circle" with West Creek which is a local three piece Americana, blues, rock, and country band. And over the course of the afternoon, the trio was joined by a lady at the bar with a beautiful voice, an excellent fiddle player, and another guitarist.

Climbing The Rock

I figured that if all that music, walking around Fredericksburg, swimming, and jumping on the bounce pillow didn't wear the grand kids out then a climb to the top of Enchanted Rock is sure to do it - plus I'd get to work off a couple beers and margaritas. Enchanted Rock is a massive granite outcropping that challenges you to get to its top, climb or rappel off some of the faces, hike any of several trails to the top or around the perimeter, or explore the cracks and crevices of some huge boulders. I was a tad worried about the 4 year old granddaughter but she did great and kept up with her two older brothers as they scurried quickly to the top (left me behind huffing and puffing) which is over a half mile up a steep rock face in 100 degree weather! By the end of the day, I was pooped, fell asleep on the ride back to the RV, and had to take a couple Advils and a nap while they enjoyed all the amenities at the RV park for the next couple hours.

Fredericksburg Wineries

After a nap, I drug the grand kids to visit 3 different wineries so I could relax and sample some wine and listen to some more music before they had to head home. The Texas Hill Country is home to over 45 wineries, second only to Napa California, and Fredericksburg is the epicenter for the wineries! We visited Fat Ass Ranch & Winery (love them and their logo and I now own a fat ass t-shirt and hat), Becker Vineyards, and Grape Creek Vineyards because Jeff Wood, one of our favorites was playing on the patio.

Wow, what a fantastic voice with a combination of his own songs and some cover songs from some of the best like Neil Diamond and even Don McLean's American Pie. How can you beat sipping some excellent wine under some sprawling oaks listening to one of the best voices around?

What a fun few days in Fredericksburg.

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Texas Outside has been alive & well since 1996 - that's ancient by today's internet standards! Texas Outside was originally developed by Lone Star Internet which is an Austin based web development company with an excellent reputation & client base. In March of 2006, we purchased Texas Outside & made a commitment to add new, exciting, & informative content on Texas outdoor activities & fun things to see & do.